Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics

By Mark R. Glanville and Luke Glanville

IVP Academic, 2021. 288 pages. $29 (e-book $34)

forcibly displaced people worldwide numbered 79.5 million people in 2019 – more than twice the population of Canada. Yet many nations have drastically reduced the number of refugees they welcome, due to anxiety about national security, financial stability and cultural coherence.

The Glanville brothers, with expertise in both biblical studies and international relations, argue it is in everyone’s interest to “address the causes of displacement and to care for the displaced.”

Drawing from key biblical texts, the authors develop a robust ethic of kinship – God’s vision for communities that welcome the “dispossessed, dishonoured and displaced outsiders.” That ethic is then applied to the Church, individual nations and the global community. Churches are called to model kinship, challenging their governments to address the need.

Armed with historical insights and statistics, the authors argue wealthy nations bear significant responsibility for this global upheaval through their support of abusive regimes, extravagant arms sales, unethical trade practices and destructive climate change practices. It’s time to repent and make restitution – a costly step, but one the authors argue persuasively can be done with existing resources. Despite the risks and sacrifice involved, the benefits of practising biblical kinship are non-negotiable for the Church and in the strategic interests of nations.

This compelling book is valuable for anyone seeking to understand and adequately respond to the urgent crisis of displaced persons.